Guide to Track Chain Assessment Method: Maximizing Asphalt Milling Savings by choosing chain with deep insights

    Track chains play a critical role in asphalt milling, serving as the foundation for the machine's mobility and operational efficiency. They directly impact the machine's ability to maintain consistent performance and achieve smooth, precise milling results. 

A high-quality track chain ensures efficient operation, reducing unexpected downtimes and costly repairs. Understanding the importance of selecting and maintaining quality track chains is essential for maximizing equipment lifespan, productivity, and cost savings.

At Everpads, our commitment to reliability, durability, and customer-centricity drives us to provide superior quality and innovative solutions. This blog aims to empower our readers with the knowledge and tools to make informed decisions about track chains. By sharing our expertise, we help you optimize equipment, reduce costs, and achieve exceptional results in your asphalt milling projects. This guide offers insights into the best practices for track chain selection and maintenance.

• Provides knowledge and tools for assessing track chains.
• Aims to reduce maintenance expenses.
• Links to an additional guide on chain replacement.
  
  

• Those seeking better chain solutions.
• Individuals aiming for improved asphalt milling performance and efficiency.
• Anyone looking to reduce operational costs.
  
  

Table of Contents:
1. Risks of Using Inferior Track Chain
2. Basic Consideration Indicators to Compare Track Chains
3. Tips to Evaluate the Probable Performance of a Track Chain on Each Indicator
4. Taking the Next Steps

I. Risks of Using Inferior Track Chains

Consequences of Low-Quality Chains:

1. Increased Unexpected Downtime: Low-quality track chains are more prone to breakage and wear, leading to frequent and unexpected machine stoppages. This downtime can disrupt project timelines, increase labor costs, and result in significant financial losses due to idle machinery.
2. Safety Risk for Operators of the Construction Project: Inferior track chains can compromise the stability and control of asphalt milling machines. This instability poses a safety hazard to operators and other personnel on-site, increasing the risk of accidents and injuries. Ensuring the use of high-quality chains is critical for maintaining a safe working environment.
3. Higher Replacement Requirements and Direct Expenses: Poor-quality track chains wear out faster and require more frequent replacements. This not only incurs direct costs for purchasing new chains but also increases maintenance expenses. The cumulative effect of frequent replacements and repairs can significantly inflate operational costs, impacting the overall profitability of milling projects.

Attributes Affecting Longevity:

1. Resilience Capability: The ability to maintain its original shape, ensuring consistent performance of the chain over the long term.
2. Abrasion Resistance: The capacity to withstand wear and tear, determining the longevity of a chain by maintaining usable dimensions.
3. Alignment Precision on Each Link: The alignment level of each link in a track chain significantly affects friction levels, determining the smoothness of operation, reducing avoidable wear, and properly distributing operational force.
4. Structure Design: Whether the area commonly wear while operating enhanced, this can greatly affect the longevity of a chain.

Attributes Affecting Failure Resistance:

1. Structure Design: Optimizes force distribution and provides consistent lifespan, ensuring reliable performance and lifespan consistency. The design's ability to address pin hole break issues is crucial in determining the chain's resistance to premature failure.
2. Tensile Strength: The maximum force the chain can resist during operation without deforming, enabling it to handle sudden improper forces.

Attributes Affecting Operation Performance:

1. Load Capacity: Determines the maximum weight a track chain can support for a machine, maintaining consistent performance under various operating conditions and slopes.

III. Tips to Evaluate the Probable Performance of a Track Chain on Each Indicator
Tips to Assess Structure Design

Tips to Assess Abrasion Resistance, Resilience Capability, and Tensile Strength of a Track Chain

Tips to Assess Link Alignment Precision on Each Link

1. Advanced CNC Multi-Axis Auto Lathe:

These lathes ensure precise alignment of each chain link.

How It Affects the Attributes:

• CNC lathes achieve tight tolerances, automate shaping, and allow real-time quality control, ensuring each link is identical and reducing misalignment. Traditional methods have looser tolerances and manual processes, leading to variability and errors.

 

Why Advanced CNC Multi-Axis Auto Lathes Are Not Widely Adopted:

These machines require significant investment in high-precision equipment and skilled operators, making them more expensive to purchase and maintain.

Tips to Assess Weight Load Strength

Stats to Review:

The chain load strength should be at least 1.7 times the machine's weight. A load capacity of 2 times indicates top performance.

 

Why This Is Not Widely Delivered:

Achieving high load strength involves combining solutions for abrasion resistance, resilience capability, and tensile strength, which increases costs. Most manufacturers are unwilling to incur these expenses.

IV. Taking the Next Steps